Following Project Homeless Connect, everyone is probably feeling different emotions and thoughts about the actual event. After such a big event, it is probably very difficult to process all that has happened. From the people you met to the services you helped provided, what was the overall impact of the day? What were some positive and negative experiences and what responses did you receive from you client and or other volunteers? How do you feel you have benefited or grown from this experience?
This is DU’s second year hosting this event. From everything you have heard from the previous year and from what you have taken from the event this year, how successful would you gauge this event? From your experience, do you think your perceptions of the homeless have changed? Would you still walk past a homeless person without a word or acknowledgement now that you have interacted with someone in this situation and learned about their life struggles?
Lastly, each of us participated in a service-learning experience where you volunteered with another organization prior to PHC. Did this experience prepare you for the situations you found yourself in on Friday? Also, did these two experiences inspire you to be involved in more community service?
-Janis Sakai & Nancy Sullivan
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I had an amazing client that I escorted throughout the day. She was so prepared with all the services that she wanted to get accomplished and was just very open about her life experiences and how she got to the point she was at. It was amazing to hear her story as a transition from having a beautiful home with a family to living in a shed alone on the streets of downtown. I felt that this day was a success, not only for her being able to get everything take care of that she needed, but for the relationship that we were able to build with one another. We had a lot of time while we were waiting for services and we she just opened up to me, a person that she had known for barely five minutes about the struggles in her life and how she is changing for the better. I felt that the people at the services were very helpful and friendly which made is a lot easier for the clients to become comfortable. At all the service booths I was at, the volunteers would ask for the clients name and shake their hand and it was genuinely nice to have them care about the individual they were helping instead of just what they needed to get taken care of.
My perceptions of the homeless did change. Honestly, I was expected to get an elderly male which drug and alcohol problems that I would have to convince not to go to the housing line, but instead, I had a 29 year old mother of soon to be four children trying to get her life back on track after several abusive relationships, going to jail, drug addictions, and identity theft. She kept telling me how it was a blessing that she was able to get everything taken care of today and that her life finally seems to be getting better. I didn’t view her as someone that would have been homeless because she seemed so well put together. Her hair was nicely done, her nails were painted, her outfit was adorable: have she seemed like someone I would see at the mall, not sleeping on the streets. I don’t think that I would just walk past a homeless person because I have so many resources that I can use to help them. There is nothing more that my client wants to do other than help people from getting in the same situation that she is getting herself out of. She wants to save woman from abusive partners and she told me that if she could just help one person, she would be content. This really inspired me to want to get more involved in service learning. I’ve done volunteer work in the past but it was never truly out of my own desire to help someone but some requirement that I was trying to fulfill. My client is starting her life over and the first thing she wants to do is help other people, and it really made me realize how much I have that that I can be using to help others.
I... Feel... Good!
Is it possible that I have been transformed into a bleeding heart liberal in a single day. Probably not. But what I think was the most interesting about this experience is the one on one connection you make with an individual (who all the sudden has a name, face and future). As you and your client part each other's company at the end of the day, you get a feeling like you just walked out of an Academy award-winning feel-good blockbuster of the summer hit movie, costarring you.
What I also find interesting, is that upon self examination of the events transpired and the event in general, is what we as volunteers bring to the table. I feel that I was extremely helpful today, but why? What did I contribute? Was it because I extended a thorough and extensive training session prior to my volunteering at Project Homeless Connect? Uhh, no! What I feel I personally brought to the table was a sense of organization and follow through, the ability to ask the right questions and ultimately gain the most pertinent information. It was only a matter of about thirty minutes after meeting my client when I ceased with the vernacular “You”, and it became “We”.
His problems were now my problems.
If it is possible to eradicate homelessness (which it is not), it would be achieved by getting people to believe that one idea. Whether it is true or not. Regardless, it must be nearly impossible to walk away from this project without observing one very notable sentiment.
I... Feel... Good!
It is difficult to explain my experience at PHC. I am pleased that I was able to help my client, but I have a lingering feeling of melancholy. I feel like that one day was really not enough for me to make a big impact on that man's life. He was so appreciative of me, and he kept thanking me, and saying, "God bless you." He would say stuff like, "I am so lucky to have you to take me around." I like that I could help him, and take him to the services he needed, but still, at the end of the day when he had to leave, I felt like so many things in his life were still unsure. I felt spoiled because I could just go back to my dorm with my laptop and my plasma screen and only worry about homework to do.
So many things in our lives are Catch-22s. I feel good going to help my client, who was hilarious and fun to be with, but I feel so selfish to go back to my regular everyday life, when he has to return to the streets and sleeping in Missions and eating at Soup Kitchens. His story of becoming homeless was so unfortunate, because three months ago he was doing just fine. HE had a steady job, but he was living pay check to pay check without savings, and his lay off led him to homelessness. He was so open to telling me about his experiences. He said, "It's really hard sometimes, and I am embarassed by it, but it is my story and my life, so I shouldn't be afraid to tell it to you." This was a real reality check for me. If I look back on my life would I be willing to share my story with a friendly stragner? Probably not. And what kind of person does that make me?
I think, unfortunately, that I will still feel uneasy around the homeless when I see them. It is true, everyone has a story, but until I know what it is, it is hard for me to just be free and easy. Many of the homeless are nice, kind, friendly people who are down on their luck, but I do still have to be careful. I am so proud of the client I helped and the strides he made on Friday, and I appreciate what I learned from him. You have to take ownership of your life story, even the embarrassing parts, because that is your legacy, and that is what people will remember you for.
I’m not sure that I can express in words how equally inspiring and heartbreaking Friday was. There were moments where I felt that I was so much a part of the solution that there was no doubt in mind that we could solve homelessness, and we were going to do it that day while eating our sack lunches. These moments of encouragement, though, were coupled with moments of mounting disappointment when a client was rejected from permanent housing and told they must seek out another shelter. The day, complete with ups and downs, was overall an incredible experience. What touched me the most was the sheer kindness of my clients; one man refused to eat himself until I took the cookie that he shared with me, while another opened his package of socks to share with a man who had not received any. As I watched these small but meaningful occurrences, I realized how utterly humbling it must be to attend an event like this, to put yourself at the mercy of a group of college students and make it know, that for one reason or another you are unable to take care of yourself or your family. I can’t imagine the vulnerability some of the clients must have felt and for the number of people who came for assistance, I think it is a testament to the change that is needed in our social system. Perhaps Project Homeless Connect and Denver’s Road Home will not eradicate homelessness however maybe it is the tipping point that will inspire other organizations and different types of people to adopt homelessness as a cause. Though Friday was an emotionally draining day, I would love to participate PHC again.
It is interesting for me going through this experience because I have done one other project homeless connect, plus I had other responsibilities as well throughout the day.
First, my experience with this homeless connect seemed much more relaxed and less stressful than the first homeless connect. I had an amazing client who was only a year younger than myself who I was able to connect with on a more personal level. The atmosphere of the event also felt different. I do not know if it is just being on a college campus or if it has something to do with the space provided but the Invesco Field PCH5 seemed more cramped, crowded and overbearing.
For the second half of the day, I had the opportunity to go around and take pictures of the event for the Clarion. If anybody wants to see some images, they have a supplement coming out in tomorrow's paper! You should check it out!
The differences in the two experiences were immense. While I had a personal connection with the client I took around in the morning, i found myself being distanced by those I was photographing later in the day. It is the curse of the photographer, particularly in photojournalism, sometimes to have to be so disconnected from subjects, needing to blend into the background. There was a completely different attitude towards me as a volunteer as soon as I put the camera around my neck. While many kids wanted to sit an pose for the camera, many adults shied away, some others seemed indignantly aloof.
As for my perceptions of homelessness, certainly they have changed as a result of this project. It is difficult to go through an event like PHC and not be moved by what you see. In particular, I found new insight into the issue of youth homelessness as I took around an 18 year old woman. There was not much difference in mannerisms, concerns, and activities when comparing her to myself and it was really difficult to swallow. I wanted so much to help her out, be that voice of encouragement; but no matter how similar we were there seemed to be something of an invisible barrier between us. There was something there that I could not relate to and I could not understand that was difficult to overcome.
Overall, the experience was fantastic. I went to look over at the comments on the "Chalk(Chok)Talk" paper, just to see some feedback. Splattered along the sheet were words of hope and inspiration at the success of the event, and desperation and sadness that the event was over so quickly. People missed their clients, others offered words of hope, some expressed joy, and some individuals never made it to writing down thoughts before they broke into tears.
My comment: "They say in the song 'what the world needs now is love'... and today, I think we found it"
I felt that the overall impact of my day was positive. I felt like I was able to help my client to the full extent of my abilities and I felt like he had a positive experience also. The only negative experiences that I had throughout the day were waiting in long lines and my own impatience with some of the volunteers and the communication between different areas of the Project. I learned a great deal from Friday’s experience, the most important of which being that homeless people come in all shapes in sizes and from all walks of life. In addition, I was able see directly the impacts of homelessness and the people it affects. Overall I feel that this years Project Homeless Connect was successful, I felt as if I did some civic good. However at the same time I feel as if I was not able to see the direct impact of my actions, because in the end it is up to the client to make the choices and take the actions necessary to help themselves. I definitely think this experience has changed my perceptions of the homelessness, especially since I worked with a homeless person who was so close to my own age. In addition, I was able to see that homeless people should not be identified by their label of “homeless” they are just people. Often times they are people who are homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. I don’t think that my experience at the Denver Rescue Mission really prepared me for PHC but it did definitely open my eyes and humble me greatly. Project Homeless Connect definitely taught me a lot and if definitely has forever altered the way I view homelessness.
I had a really good experience at Project Homeless Connect. The client I had I was really able to relate to and we got things done in an efficient manner because our communication was so good. I thought that the event was a great opportunity for the homeless of Denver to be able to come and get all of the things they may need in a single day. The people that worked there were so friendly and so willing to help. On a negative note, however, I thought that there was not enough space in the Gates Field House. It felt very crowded and made it hard to go from station to station.
I think that the event was very successful. I got to also help pack some bag lunches, and the chef said about 2,000 sandwiches were bagged, and we only had about 25 left at the end! The event was hugely successful and I think that DU students liked the chance to be able to do something for the bigger society, right on campus!
Before Project Homeless connect, I had an image in my mind of what a homeless person was; someone who was ragged and sitting on the street. However, at PHC, I saw a lot of people who didn't look homeless at all. It made me realize that to become homeless is not a difficult thing.
I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Denver Rescue Mission before PHC, which was a lot different from this situation. We actually helped prepare dinner, but did not speak directly with the homeless. However, both of these experiences together gave me a lot of confidence and I would definitely participate in PHC again next year!
Since I did not participate in Project Homeless Connect, I thought that I would use this space to reflect on my classmates’ reflections on their experiences at Project Homeless Connect. After reading my classmates reflections I feel even more like I missed out on an amazing experience. What struck me most about the reflections was the common sentiment that this event represented, possibility, hope and change. In one way or another, whether my classmates felt individually empowered or like they had done nothing, I think that most walked away feeling like Project Homeless Connect represents the start of change.
As Ben said, “It was only a matter of about thirty minutes after meeting my client when I ceased with the vernacular “You”, and it became “We”. His problems were now my problems. If it is possible to eradicate homelessness (which it is not), it would be achieved by getting people to believe that one idea.” I thought that this was a very honest, and yet hopeful, realization. The fact that this event demonstrated that homelessness is not just a problem for those that are homeless, but for the greater community.
Emily also realized that this project is maybe just the seed being planted for greater change. She said, “Perhaps Project Homeless Connect and Denver’s Road Home will not eradicate homelessness however maybe it is the tipping point that will inspire other organizations and different types of people to adopt homelessness as a cause.” I feel like many people were hinting at this idea. Maybe this project alone will not end the homeless epidemic, but maybe it will draw enough attention and organization to the cause, that other people will want to join the force to help end it.
I hope that these sentiments carry on long past the event is over. I hope that Denver’s Road Home can inspire a revolution in the way this community thinks about the homeless. I hope that people do remember to be thankful for what they have and be generous with it. I guess just reading other people’s reflections has given me a sense of hope, which is a good start all on its own.
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